Artist: Social Distortion
Album: Sex, Love, and Rock 'n' Roll
Label: Time Bomb Recordings
Tracks: 10
Length: 31:47
Review by: Phil Nichols

It seems like an eternity. In the eight years since the last Social Distortion album we have seen the rise and fall of ska, the dawn of the nu-metal era, the birth of the mall-punk generation, and now the onslaught of teary-eyed emo bands. Needless to say, music has strayed very far since we last heard from Social D. But now, after years of rumors about a new record and after the tragic death of Dennis Danell, Social Distortion is back with the release of Sex, Love, and Rock 'n' Roll.

Now, right off the bat, I should probably admit that I had pretty high expectations for this record. I mean, in the past few years all we have heard from Mike Ness are a few solo records and a live album. When I heard that Social D was in the studio recording a new cd my heart skipped a beat - I knew this new album would be what all of these manufactured garage rock bands wished they could make. And I was right, sort of. Sex, Love, and Rock 'n' Roll is a very solid release: the songs are memorable, the instrumentation is tight, and the production is fantastic. And yet, it still feels like it's missing something. Maybe it's because so many bands have imitated Social Distortion's sound that some of their fresh and innovative aspects have been watered down and the songs have lost some of their punch, but for some reason I don't love this as much as I thought I would.

The album kicks off with "Reach For The Sky", a fast-paced, traditional Social D song with a rather upbeat message. Mike Ness sings, "Reach for the sky. Cuz tomorrow may never come", which has a sort of seize-the-day feel to it. "Highway 101" has an instantly memorable chorus and really displays the growth that the band has experienced as songwriters in the past few years. Perhaps the most moving song is "Don't Take Me For Granted", which was written for the late Dennis Danell. Through these songs Mike Ness shows that he is capable of being the defiant punk rocker that he always was and still have a tone of introspection to his lyrics, which makes for an interesting listen.

The music has not really changed all that much. The roots rock feel of the band's older albums have been fused together with the alternative-rock sound of White Heat White Light White Trash. Though they have both age and tragedy working against them, instrumentally, the band has managed to sound just as they did eight years ago. Also, it seems that Social Distortion has finally got the production they should have had on all of their albums. Sex, Love, and Rock 'n' Roll sounds fabulous compared to the quality of some of their older records.

Overall, if you are a fan of Social Distortion, I don't see any reason why you would not like Sex, Love, and Rock 'n' Roll. It is by no means a perfect record or even the album of the year, but it is was a logical step for the band to take at this stage in their lives. Sex, Love, and Rock 'n' Roll is a solid rock album, and hopefully the band will pick up where it leaves off on their next album. Let's just hope we don't have to wait another eight years until that next album comes.